27 July 2006MR 76/2006ACMA finds Four Corners in breach of the...

27 July 2006

MR 76/2006

ACMA finds Four Corners in breach of the ABC code

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) breached the ABC’s own Code of Practice 2002 by failing to make every reasonable effort to ensure that a Four Corners program about the forestry industry in Tasmania was impartial. ACMA also found the ABC failed to make every reasonable effort to ensure that the factual content of the program was accurate.

ACMA received three separate complaints about a Four Corners program entitled ‘Lords of the Forests’ broadcast on 16 February 2004. All of the complainants alleged that the program was not accurate, balanced or impartial. ACMA dealt with all three complaints together as they cover similar issues.

ACMA investigated the program and found that the ABC had breached the code in relation to:

* impartiality, in that it failed to make every effort to ensure that the program was impartial.
* accuracy, in that it failed to make every effort to ensure that the factual content of the program was accurate in relation to the discovery of Tasmania and the properties of Huon Pine and it failed to correct the errors in a timely manner.

ACMA found that the ABC did not breach the code in relation to accuracy regarding other allegations raised in the complaint, nor did it breach the code in relation to balance.

While one instance of emotive or subjective language in isolation would not be sufficient to amount to a breach of the code, the cumulative impact of the instances of subjective and emotive language over the course of the program was the principal reason that the program was not impartial, ACMA found.

In relation to the breach finding regarding impartiality, ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman noted that the Authority recognises the nature of current affairs reporting and that it requires reporters and presenters to be questioning and, at times, sceptical, in their analysis of important issues.

‘The requirements that the ABC has chosen to include in its code relating to accuracy and impartiality in news and current affairs programs are more stringent than those applying to other broadcasting sectors,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

In its report ACMA recommends that:

* in relation to the breach finding regarding timeliness, the ABC should make specific reference in the code to what it considers to be ‘timely’ when correcting errors. This should be done when the code is next reviewed to prevent a recurrence of timeliness breaches; and
* in relation to the breach finding regarding impartiality, the ABC should review its procedures for preparing television current affairs programs so that every reasonable effort is made to ensure the impartiality of those programs.

A copy of the report is available on the ACMA website